


(Help!) not just anybody

by yeah_alright



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drinking, Fake Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Group chat, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, No Smut, OT5, accidental date, pub, side Ziam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:41:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25100068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeah_alright/pseuds/yeah_alright
Summary: Harry unexpectedly finds himself on a date with a coworker and needs help to get out of it without hurting anyone’s feelings. Louis’s eager to step in.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 79
Kudos: 388
Collections: Prompt 1.4: Extract





	(Help!) not just anybody

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a Wordplay prompt challenge for the prompt "extract". To read the amazing fics that were written by the others on this prompt, [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/extract), and to see all fics written as part of the challenge (including years 1-3), [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/wordplay_fic_challenge/works). You can also find the masterpost for this year’s challenge [here](https://wordplayfics.tumblr.com/post/622306139518926848/wordplay-2020-every-week-for-five-weeks-a-prompt).
> 
> Thanks to [lululawrence](https://lululawrence.tumblr.com/) for organizing this fest! I'm excited to play again this year. <3
> 
> I procrastinated too much this week so this is unbeta'd - please excuse any typos or other mistakes.

**Harry:** Fuck, he thinks this is a date! SOS!!

 **Louis:** What are you talking about?

 **Niall:** Who?

 **Harry:** Nick, the kind of new guy from work. He asked earlier this week if I wanted to go to happy hour tonight and I figured he just meant as mates but he definitely thinks this is a date.

 **Zayn:** You sure, H? You’re not the best at knowing when someone is into you? 

**Liam:** Did he say something?

 **Harry:** Ok yes, I know I’m usually clueless when someone is actually flirting with me, but that’s exactly why I’m in this predicament COME GET ME OUT OF THIS PLEASE

 **Louis:** Calm down, Harold. What’s the big deal?

 **Zayn:** How do you know he thinks it’s a date?

 **Harry:** He said he’s so glad I finally agreed to go out with him.

 **Niall:** Yeah, you’re on a date, H. He fit at least?

 **Harry:** Niall! Not helping!

 **Niall:** Well is he?

 **Liam:** Can’t you just explain? Or say you’re not feeling well or something?

 **Harry:** I can’t do that now! When he said that, I pretended to choke on my drink and then rushed to the loo. 

**Louis:** hahah

 **Louis:** Masterfully handled, Haz

 **Niall:** Perfect, so you’ve already got yourself out of it. Just don’t go back to the table, yeah?

 **Liam:** Niall! Don’t listen to him, H. 

**Harry:** I can’t do that, it’s rude. I still have to work with him. And he’s really nice. I don’t want him to hate me. 

**Zayn:** Can’t you just tell him you’re dating someone or summat? What’s the big deal, babes? 

**Harry:** You know I’m not a good liar.

 **Louis:** You know Hazza’s a shit liar.

 **Zayn:** Fair point.

 **Niall:** Pure, sweet Harry. 

**Harry:** CAN YOU LOT SHUT UP AND JUST HELP ME

 **Harry:** I can’t stay in the loo all night. I have to go back to the table. 

**Harry:** Just come meet us, PLEASE. We’re at the pub around the corner from my office. On the patio.

 **Niall:** Romantic!

 **Liam:** Niall..

 **Louis:** lol Nialler

 **Zayn:** We’ll figure something out, H. Just go back to the table and try not to make out with him just to be polite. 

Harry fires off a string of angry emojis and a final plea to hurry up before giving himself an affirming nod in the mirror and taking a few slow breaths before returning to the table. 

Luckily, Nick seems more concerned that Harry is doing alright than making sure he’d heard what he said before Harry spit his drink all over himself and their table. He’d even ordered Harry a new drink while he’d been in the bathroom secretly pleading with his mates to save him from this extremely nice and fit man.

This is exactly why Harry can’t say anything. He doesn’t want to embarrass Nick. And Harry knows he’s not graceful enough with words to be confident he could manage to let him down easy without making everything awkward. He can barely manage to tell Nick his mates messaged him while he was in the loo that they’re at a place nearby and he mentioned they should join them. Even the slight way Nick’s face falls at that announcement causes a twinge in Harry’s chest. 

He needs those wankers to get here fast. 

~~~

Immediately after laughing at Harry’s ridiculously dramatic string of emojis in their full group chat, Louis clicks over to the chat he, Liam, and Niall have that doesn’t include Harry – which they’d begrudgingly allowed Harry to name “Harryless Quatre” when he’d first found out about it just to get him to stop pouting – and they all agree to meet in fifteen minutes at the corner closest to the pub Harry’s at to figure out a quick plan to extract him from his accidental date. 

Once they’re all gathered – Louis’s first, which itself is a first to be honest – Liam gets immediately and seriously down to business, asking what the plan is for getting Harry out of his date. Neither Niall or Zayn think it’s worth an official plan beyond just showing up and creating a buffer, but Liam insists that won’t fix the actual problem, which is that Harry’s coworker thinks he’s on a date with Harry and Harry does not want to be on a date with him. 

“So you’re saying one of us should pretend to be his boyfriend?”

Liam cocks his head and shoots Louis a look he can’t quite read.

Niall snickers.

Zayn smirks. 

Louis hates all of them. 

“Is that what you were saying, Li?” Zayn asks, his eyes shining with poorly masked amusement.

“I definitely didn’t hear that,” Niall adds, his laughter spilling out. “But whatever you say, Lou.”

“It _would_ be effective,” Liam affirms, bless him. “Do you want to do it, Louis? Since it was your idea and all?”

Niall bursts out laughing and Louis will actually kill him tonight. 

Louis rolls his eyes at Niall, doing his best to school his face into a disinterested expression but fearing from the look on Zayn’s that he’s not quite pulling it off. 

“‘Spose that’s the only way, really. I mean, no fucking way you two can pretend not to be together,” he says, gesturing to Liam and Zayn, who are, as usual, standing so close to one another that neither air nor sunlight can squeeze through. “And,” he adds, pointing at Niall, “we definitely can’t trust this numpty to pull it off.” 

“Hey, hey!” Niall protests, finally having gotten his immature cackling under control. “What are you suggesting? That I’m not good enough for our Harry?”

“Oh, of course not,” Louis bites back sarcastically. “Just that this bloke he’s with might notice you eye-fucking every fit person who walks by and end up trying to convince Harry he should leave you and be with him.”

Niall plays at being insulted but can’t pretend Louis doesn’t have a point. “Fair play. I’m probably better suited to be this poor bloke’s wingman in the wake of Harry’s rejection anyway.”

Liam jumps in before they can get further astray. “Alright, so we have a plan. Let’s go, gents.”

When they walk in, Liam, Zayn, and Niall agree to go to the bar to get a round of pints first to make it less obvious they’re descending upon Harry and Nick’s date just to ruin it, and Louis heads straight to the patio to find Harry and let him know they’re there. 

Louis sees Harry before Harry sees him, so he gets to enjoy the moment he claps eyes on him and relief floods his face. Louis can’t help the smirk pulling at his lips, but he shoots Harry a quick wink to distract him from his nerves, and hopefully also from how obvious Louis suspects he’s being about how pleased he is to be saving Harry. Nevermind how low the stakes are. If Harry’s feeling grateful, who is Louis to stop him?

His smile broadens as he reaches the table and he slides in next to Harry, squeezing in closer than is strictly necessary, but Louis figures if they’re going to be a couple on this patio for Nick’s benefit, might as well do it properly. 

It does occur to him momentarily that Harry doesn’t actually know their plan is to tell Nick he and Harry are a couple, but if Harry’s confused about why Louis’ thigh is pressed quite so firmly against his own, he doesn’t let on. 

“Hey babe,” Louis says, his face scrunching slightly as he locks eyes with Harry from inches away, willing him to catch on. He doesn’t wait for confirmation to flash across Harry’s eyes before he finally turns to Nick, though. 

Nick balks at the sudden addition to their party, and likely at his very close proximity to and familiarity with his date. He recovers quickly, but Louis doesn’t give him a chance to speak first. 

“Alright, mate? You must be Nick. I’m Louis.” He holds his right hand out to shake Nick’s as his left hand squeezes Harry’s knee under the table. “Not intruding, am I? The rest of the boys are fetching us drinks, so hopefully that helps remove the sting even if I am.” Louis laughs, hoping to prompt laughter from Nick as well, if just to get Harry to relax enough to laugh along.

Harry’s laugh sounds a bit nervous to Louis’ ears at first, but as Nick joins in, sounding mostly genuine, if just this side of polite, Harry’s evolves into something more real as well. 

_There we go, Haz. I got you._

Louis squeezes his knee again and feels Harry press his thigh into Louis’ in response. 

“‘Course not,” Nick responds with a bright smile. “Great to meet you, Louis.” He shifts his gaze from Louis to Harry and winks, adding, “I’m delighted to meet one of Harry’s friends.” He moves the hand he’d used to shake Louis’ from where it’s resting on the table and Louis realizes he’s about to reach for Harry’s a few inches away. 

Louis feels Harry stiffen beside him and quickly grabs Harry’s hand with his own, squeezing as he gives him a reassuring smile. 

“That’s **just** what I was saying to Harry this morning when we were getting ready at ours and he mentioned you two were hanging out after work today!” Louis winks again and turns back to Nick as he intertwines his and Harry’s fingers, rubbing his thumb softly up and down Harry’s finger. “I was like, ‘finally, I can meet this friend Nick. I swear before you started working there, he had no work mates, practically.” 

Louis almost feels guilty when Nick’s face falls. And he knows Harry well enough to know he _definitely_ feels badly about it.

To his credit, Nick recovers gracefully and flashes a smile that Louis knows must be fake but looks impressively sincere. With the hand he’d moments ago tried to use to claim Harry’s, Nick grabs his glass and raises it towards Harry and Louis. “Cheers, mates. Here’s to new friends, then.” 

_Good lad,_ Louis thinks, grateful they can hopefully just enjoy the rest of the evening now.

“Oi oi!” Louis hears Niall before he sees him or Liam or Zayn, and searches him out to confirm they’re almost at the table just as Nick is draining the last sip of his pint. “Here comes our round,” Louis says, nodding his head in their direction. “Just in time, eh mate?” 

As Nick turns to look, Louis feels Harry relax into him and he turns to face him. Harry flashes a grateful smile and mouths, “Thanks, Lou.” 

“It’s nothing, love,” Louis replies, trusting Niall’s boisterous introductions to Nick as he plunks their pints down to keep anyone else from hearing. “You know I’ve got you.”

~

It doesn’t take long for Nick to not only get over the surprise of Harry having a boyfriend crash their date but to actually relax and have fun.

Harry’s so relieved to be out of the uncomfortable situation he’d been in, and especially that it’d been managed without embarrassing Nick or otherwise making things between them too awkward to still be friends. Because he does like Nick. He’s glad to have a new work mate that seems like he might actually turn into a proper mate. 

Harry exhales a grateful sigh around a sip of his third (fourth? no, still third, he thinks) pint and takes in the sight of his oldest, best mates laughing with his new one. 

Harry loves his mates. He knew they’d come through when he asked, even if they took the piss out of him a bit first. 

He’s so grateful for them. Ridiculous Niall and charming Zayn and sweet Liam.

And Louis.

Louis especially. 

Louis who had never stopped touching Harry all evening, finding some way to be pressed against him at all times, to brush some part of him against some part of Harry, to squeeze him lightly or tap him absentmindedly or pick some piece of fuzz from Harry’s jumper. 

Even after Nick had not only fully bought into their relationship act but had almost completely diverted his attention to the rest of Harry’s mates, bantering and laughing with them all as though he’d know them for ages. Even after Louis had gotten up to use the loo after about an hour, he’d returned to sit next to Harry again, encroaching on his space like he had when he’d first arrived. Maybe even closer than before. 

Maybe it’s just the drinks he’s had since then, evidenced by the rosy cheeks that haven’t been farther than six inches from Harry’s own for hours now. 

Maybe. Harry doesn’t much care about the reason. Because as warm as his own drinks have made him, when Louis had gotten up for those few minutes, he’d missed _his_ warmth. And he’d just been happy to have it back. 

When Louis had gotten up that one time, Nick had leaned across the table and whispered a rather shy apology to Harry. He hadn’t known Harry had a boyfriend, he’d insisted, and he hoped he hadn’t made an arse of himself or made Harry uncomfortable. Harry had waved off the apology as unnecessary, because it really was, and he assured Nick he had no need to feel embarrassed, that he’d done nothing wrong. If anything, Harry was embarrassed for not having realized before today that Nick had meant to ask him out. He apologized to Nick for accidentally leading him on, explaining he’s never been good at realizing when people are interested in him, even when they’re fully flirting. Nick had dismissed Harry’s apology as quickly as Harry had his, and they’d agreed tonight had ended up being a blast anyway, so no harm done at all. 

And it really had been a fun night.

~

“You lot are the best mates a guy could ever ask for,” Harry half-slurs the second the door to Nick’s Uber slams shut. “Thank you so much for rescuing me tonight.”

“You’re alright, mate,” Zayn replies as he tucks himself into Liam’s side. 

“Of course, Haz,” Liam adds, turning in sync with Zayn to walk in the direction of their flat. 

Harry smiles softly and turns to follow them as Niall throws his arm around Harry’s shoulders. 

Louis watches them all for a few steps before jogging to catch up. The flat he and Niall and Harry share is just a bit further from Zayn and Liam’s so they can walk back most of the way all together. 

Niall nudges his elbow into Harry’s side, “Anytime, H. You can always count on us to get you out of jam. Besides, that actually ended up being a right laugh tonight. Not sure why you aren’t interested in Nick honestly – seems like a good time and he’s pretty fit as well, isn’t he?”

Harry doesn’t respond and Louis takes advantage of the silence to remind Niall that Harry doesn’t need a reason not to fancy some bloke from work. He sidles up to Harry’s open side just as he’s finishing chiding Niall and Harry turns to smile at him. He thanks him, almost too quiet for Louis to hear. 

Louis returns his smile and grabs Harry’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “Yes, of course, always,” he replies, bringing their joined hands to his face and pressing a soft kiss to the back of Harry’s. 

Liam turns back to look at them and catches the end of the kiss. He shakes his head at Louis and whispers something that sounds vaguely like, “Always so obvious.”

Before Louis can reply with a smart remark or a pointed eye roll, Harry responds, “Excuse you, Liam. Louis is just helping out a mate.”

Niall cackles from the other side of Harry as he leans forward to see Harry and Louis still holding hands. “Reason you needed help is long gone, though, eh? I think it’s fair to say you can officially drop the act now. No one’s left here pining after our boy that we have to protect him from, is there?” 

Harry’s brows furrow and he thrusts his lower lip out in a silent pout. 

Niall takes a quick few steps ahead and turns to give Louis an obnoxious wink. “Right, Louis?

“Oh shut it, Neil,” Louis replies as Niall jogs to catch Liam and Zayn, his laughter filling the otherwise quiet street.

Louis doesn’t drop Harry’s hand.

~~~

Incessant buzzing echoes from the bedside table, filling the room.

_Christ’s sake. It can’t possibly be late enough for this many messages in rapid succession. This better be an emergency._

It’s not. 

But at least it’s mildly amusing. Through bleary eyes, anyway.

**Harryless Quatre**

**Niall:** So, Louis, did you finally get your crush on Harry out of your system

 **Niall:** or did faking it just make it worse ??

 **Liam:** Niall, give it a rest already. Louis’ told us a thousand times he doesn’t have a crush on Harry. 

**Liam:** Lou, ignore him. We know you were just doing Harry a favor. 

**Zayn:** Love you, babe, but you’ve never been more wrong. About Louis not having it bad for Haz, I mean. 

**Zayn:** Not about Niall being an arse who needs to ease up. 

**Niall:** Thank you, Z. 

**Niall:** And also, piss off. 

**Niall:** Lou Lou, we’re here for you when you’re finally ready to man up and declare your love to H. 

**Niall:** Isn’t that right, boys?

 **Liam:** Of course, if Louis *did* have feelings for Harry, we’d definitely support him. 

**Liam:** We’d obviously support you, Louis. 

**Zayn:** Course we do. Would, I mean lol

Good mates, the lot of them. Even if they are absolutely bloody pains in the arse.

**Louis:** Fuck off, please. Some of us are trying to sleep it off. 

“Fuck’s sake, what are those wankers on about?”

Harry giggles and puts Louis’ phone down on the nightstand before snuggling back against him, laying his head on Louis’ bare chest and pulling the blanket back up to cover them both. “Just the usual,” Harry responds, rubbing his chin back and forth across Louis’ chest, nudging his nose into Louis’ neck as he teasingly tries to give Louis a beard burn with his morning scruff. It may be patchy, but he knows it at least tickles. “You know, giving you shit for being totally in love with me.”

Louis groans but rolls onto his side so he’s facing Harry, slinging his arm over Harry’s waist and pulling him closer as he nuzzles his face into Harry’s neck.

“Tell ‘em to fuck off. ‘M sleeping.” Louis muffles into Harry’s neck, his words vibrating against Harry’s skin and warming him instantly.

Harry huffs a laugh and gently brushes Louis’ fringe back from his forehead so he can get a better view of his face. 

“Handled, love,” he says, placing a soft kiss on Louis’ temple before pulling back again to gaze at his angelic, sleepy face.

Louis’ eyelids are slightly squeezed shut, like he’s willing the morning to fuck off as well, but the rest of his face looks peaceful. At least as peaceful as Harry’s ever seen it when he’s been forced awake before 11 on a Saturday. 

He watches Louis for a few seconds before he reaches to smooth the crinkle between his furrowed brows with his finger. He’s successful at getting Louis’ face to relax, but he can tell Louis’s still putting effort into keeping his eyes closed, no doubt hoping Harry will go back to sleep, or at least pretend to for a bit longer for his benefit. 

Too late. Harry’s up. 

“Should we just tell them, Lou? It’s been two months, nearly.” 

“Fuck ‘em. Never telling ‘em. Don’t wanna give Niall the satisfaction.”

Harry laughs at Louis’ stubbornness and then simply must kiss him all over his face. 

Louis scrunches his nose at the intrusion and huffs out a groaned protest, but Harry doesn’t care. 

And he knows Louis doesn’t really either. 

“Suit yourself,” Harry says, after his lips have had their fill of Louis’ cheeks and nose and lips and cheeks again. “You’re the one that keeps getting shit for having a crush on me. No one suspects a thing from me.” Harry smiles smugly and Louis finally and slowly pulls his eyes halfway open to glare at Harry.

Without breaking eye contact, the shining pools of blue peeking out through sleep-heavy lids, he reaches between them to palm Harry’s cock, half-hard just from being pressed slightly against Louis for the past few minutes, his pants the only barrier between their skin. 

Louis arches an eyebrow. “Is that so?” he challenges, his voice still low from sleep, and he lightly presses his palm against Harry’s bulge. 

The combination of Louis’ touch and the morning rasp in his voice makes Harry’s cock twitch as a pulse of blood rushes in to finish the job of getting it to full hardness. 

Louis smirks as he squeezes a bit harder. “No one’s got a clue about how you feel, eh?”

Harry winces at the spike of pleasure that races through him but shakes his head, refusing to give in just yet, knowing he will at the very next word out of Louis’ mouth or quirk of his eyebrow or movement of his hand.

Louis laughs lightly, smirking as he releases the pressure on Harry’s cock and Harry whines at the loss.

“Because it feels pretty obvious to me, mate.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed. <3
> 
> Tumblr post is [here](https://uhoh-but-yeah-alright.tumblr.com/post/622909810138021889) if you're into reblogging utterly silly fics.


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